The MVPs, last year's winner and this year's leader in the clubhouse, were putting on a show. It was the one-name wonders performing a little one-on-one magic.
Kobe vs. Dirk.
And it was wildly entertaining, right down to the bitter end when Kobe Bryant's will was just a shade stronger than Dirk Nowitzki's.
Bryant had a huge, 52-point, 11-rebound night - virtually living at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and overtime - as the Los Angeles Lakers survived for a 108-104 victory over the Mavericks at the Staples Center.
It was a mesmerizing show in the fourth quarter and overtime as Nowitzki sent the game into the bonus frame with a last-gasp three-pointer, and Bryant responded with eight of his team's 15 points in the extra period.
"To say one single thing did it," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, "Kobe Bryant is probably the reason we didn't lose."
In the second half, Bryant had 38 points while Nowitzki racked up 25 of his 30 after halftime. Bryant also made his last 17 free throws, 15 of them in the fourth quarter and overtime.
It was the second time in three games against Western Conference division leaders that the Mavericks played well on the road but came up short. They lost by two at San Antonio on Thursday.
"In the fourth quarter, all you can do is go for it," Nowitzki said. "We were shooting only 30-something percent from the floor, so we just had to get something going.
"Tough loss. We were right there at the end. We had our chances in overtime - we had a chance to tie with five seconds left. We had chances against San Antonio and against this team, and we haven't found a way to close those games out yet.
"We know we're right there, but right there in this league doesn't get you anywhere."
Except another mark in the loss column. The close calls are getting old in a hurry for a team that continues to slide further toward the bottom of the West playoff pecking order rather than rising through the ranks.
"On the road, we got to find a way to win," said Jason Kidd, who missed a crucial free throw that could potentially have forced a second overtime. "We've put ourselves in that position twice in San Antonio and now here in LA. The next step is to find a way to win those games. The newness is over. As a team we got to find ways to win games."
The Mavericks survived horrendous shooting in the first half and used their defense and Nowitzki's second half to run side-by-side with the Lakers most of the game. They were up by as much as five early in the fourth, but the score was tied four times in the final three minutes of regulation.
With each possession providing pulse-racing moments, the Mavericks were down 93-90 with 6.1 seconds after Bryant had rebounded the second of two missed free throws by Lamar Odom, then sank two foul shots.
The Mavericks ran a double-screen to free up Nowitzki, and Kidd found him for a threw-pointer from straight away to tie the game with two seconds left.
The Lakers led by six twice in overtime, but Kidd's layup cut the lead to 105-104 with 10.6 seconds left. He was fouled on the play by Pau Gasol in one of the silliest fouls since Manu Ginobili fouled Nowitzki on the way to the rim in Game 7 of the 2006 Western Conference semifinals.
But Kidd short-armed the free throw.
"The coach drew up a great play, and we wanted the two," Kidd said. "But that was the old-fashioned way of getting a three-point play. I felt confident, I just left it short. That falls on my shoulders. I knew it was short when I shot it."
Bryant hit two free throws, and the Mavericks couldn't get a good look at the end.
It was a sour ending to what had been a wonderful show by Nowitzki and Bryant.
"You knew each superstar was going to step up and try to will their team," Jason Terry said. "It was amazing, man. That's what playoff basketball is all about."
It wasn't the first time Bryant has incinerated the Mavericks. He scored 62 in a 112-90 win over the Mavs on Dec. 20, 2005 without even playing the fourth quarter.
"The funny thing is we gave him a single look, then we double-teamed him, and then we gave him a triple team, and he splits the triple team and scores," coach Avery Johnson said. "We tried to zone him and tried to funnel him into a trap on the zone and he went the other way. So he didn't cooperate on any of our defenses.
"He's a great player. He has these nights on lots of teams."
